A kartika (Skt. kartri, katari; Tib. gri-gug, or kartrika in Nepal, also sometimes referred to in Tibetan as a trigug or drigug) is a small, crescent-shaped hand-held ritual flaying knife used in the tantric ceremonies of Vajrayana Buddhism. The kartika is said to be "one of the quintessential attributes of the wrathful Tantric deities." It is commonly known as the "knife of the dakinis."