The magic of the Magical Dagger comes from the effect that the material object has on the realm of the spirit.
The art of tantric magicians or lamas lies in their visionary ability to comprehend the spiritual energy of the material object and to willfully focus it in a determined direction. . .
The tantric use of the phurba encompasses the curing of disease, exorcism, killing demons, meditation, consecrations (puja), and weather-making.
The blade of the phurba is used for the destruction of demonic powers. The top end of the phurba is used by the tantrikas for blessings. The fabrication of kīla is quite diverse.
Having pommel, handle, and blade kīla are often segmented into suites of triunes on both the horizontal and vertical axes, though there are notable exceptions. This compositional arrangement highlights the numerological importance and spiritual energy of the integers three (3) and nine (9). Kīla may be constituted and constructed of different materials and material components, such as wood, metal, clay, bone, gems, horn or crystal.
