Kartika Rituals

The kartika is a powerful tool used in Vajrayana ceremonies of Buddhism. 
Its small, crescent-shaped design represents the quintessential attributes of wrathful Tantric deities and is known as the "knife of the dakinis." 
It is commonly held by female deities but can also be seen in the hands of male deities, such as Yamantaka, in spiritual practice.
The kartika represents the severing of the two Buddhist obscurations of defilements and knowledge that obstruct the path of enlightenment.