First off, it’s not the actual key to Shambala as shown in Nathan Drake’s adventure in Uncharted 2. However, this dagger, or Phurba, as it is appropriately called, is definitely the inspiration to Naughty Dog’s iconic key item. The Phurba was found in a Tibetan market in India, and is currently trending on Reddit with Uncharted fans. 

Reddit user codmycave shared his amazing find, and as of the writing of this article, the post has already received 6,332 upvotes on the website. Check out the comparison of the actual Phurba to the one depicted in Uncharted 2. 

Numerous Reddit users shared their insights on the Phurba found in the Tibetan market. One user commented that the person who found the dagger must now “find the right temple”. Another user suggested that, the guy must now be aware of the “infinite number of mercenaries” headed his way, as is the usual pattern in video games when the player finds a key item. The post also showed how after all these years, numerous players are still hung up on Nathan Drake’s adventures, and even I myself got curious on the historical use of the Phurba, besides of course, opening gates of lost civilizations. 

The Phurba Dagger is actually a Tibetan Buddhist Ritual instrument that was often used by Tantric practitioners during ceremonies. The dagger is used to pin down negative energies during rituals, or some sort of a stabilizer. It’s end is never sharp as it is only used in rituals and never as an actual weapon. So the scene in Uncharted 2 where Lazarevic used the Phurba to threaten Harry Flynn, may not have worked so well. I mean for sure it can be used to kill Harry, but the dull edge of the dagger would make his death torturously slow and painful. 

The Phurba’s three sides was inspired by an ancient Vedic relic, that was used to pin down sacrifices. The sides represent the Phurba’s power to transform negative energies. You can read up a detailed history of the Phurba here. Although the Phurba is still used by some practitioners, it now functions mainly as a decorative piece in homes, temples, and meditation rooms. I wonder if the Phurba that was recently found can open gates to a time that was forgotten?

What do you think of this amazing discovery? Is this better than the extremely expensive Phurba that is now sold on eBay as part of the Uncharted 2’s Collector’s Edition?