One of the eight fiery defenders of dharma, Hayagriva is depicted with a horse head in his hair. Traditionally crafted from meteoric iron, the phurpa is a ritual dagger most often decorated with the head of Hayagriva.

A kartika (Sanskrit: kartari; Tibetan: གྲི་གུག་or kartrika in Nepal) is a small, crescent-shaped, hand-held ritual flaying knife used in the tantric ceremonies of Vajrayana Buddhism.