THULABHARAM
Dearfriends, Thulamor thraas is the Malayalam word for the balance with two arms still used intemples for Tulabharam offering to deities. The balance is suspended frommiddle. Under normal position a needle in the middle would be at 90 degrees andboth arms in a horizontal line. Weweigh using different models of this type of balance from milligrams tokilograms (4-10 kgs) normally. In onearm of the balance the preset measuring weight and the other balance arm thecommodity to be weighed are kept and commodity is adjusted. In villages forweighing tapioca, elephant yam, sweet potato etc. this type of balance is stillused. Beforeelectronic weighing machines became popular it was this type of balance mostlyin use. Now most merchants use electronic weighing machine. Manyscrap merchants still use this type of balance for weighing scraps, old newspapers and magazines since it is more convenient to them. For weighing heavyscraps they collect them in their vehicle and ask us to see weight in theirbridge balance at shop(Malayalam Pettithras) Inmost temples beam balance is available with very big arms and chains and amedium sitting plank type arrangement on either side and big hook to hang froma strong beam. Theyare widely used for offering of Thula Bharam from small kids to aged people.They should be able to weigh from 8-10 kgs of kids to 70-80 kgs of men andwomen. In some temples we have separate thras for children comparativelysmaller in size. . Thisposting is about thulam or thras and of course in some detail of thulabharam. Sincerely, GopalaKrishnan 03-06 -2012 Reposted on 5-10-21 after necessaryediting and updating. R. Gopalakrisnan 1. Thulam Rasi Thereare 12 rasies in the rasi chakram, and starting from Mesham, thulam is the 7thrasi. This rasi is owned by Sukra (Venus), the magnanimous Asura Guru. Venusis for high and intellectual learning, all round happiness and enjoyment andvery good relations including marital relations. Thetulam indicates everything measured. It should not exceed or decrease. Venushimself is an example of it- He was more affectionate with his daughterDevayani, and went to extreme ends to fulfil her desires. From his own experience hewould have come for the limiting of things. Thoseborn in stars, Swathi and Visakham are also found to have the qualitiesmentioned above in general. 2. Tulabharam During Tulabharam in front of the deity the personis weighed against the thing offered. It could be jagerry, plantain, coins,silver, coconut, paddy, raw rice, even water or anything else prayed. Deityaccepts anything offered. I read in a temple at Malappuram, THULABARAMIS GIVEN WITH ROPES. Normal thulabharam iswith jagerry and plantains. Actuallythe weighed arm with item should go DOWN and person offering should well GO UPin Tulabharam. 3.Tulabharam to Lord Krishna Couldbe a repetition but interesting to kids to whom elders normally read thesetypes of stories. Once Narada informed Sathya bhama for making a thulabharam toLord Krishna with Gold, so that he might be more affectionate to her than withRukmini. Sathyabhama felt having plenty of gold ornaments it was an easy affairand desired so. She was slightlypride also. Itis told to set right her pride, sage Narada organised the program with the consentof lord Krishna. WhenSathyabama told Krishna that she desires a Thulabharam to him with gold forwell being, Krishna SIMPLYagreed. On the stipulated day and time, Krishna smilingly came toher house and said he is ready forThulabharam. Hesmilingly sat on one thulam. As if nothing big, Sathya bhama brought goldornaments in a very big basket carried by four or five assistants. She felt even a quarter may notbe required for Thulabharam. Narada wasthere supervising things. Evenafter loading the full basket the arm Krishna sitting was just keeping positionas it was. She brought the next basket full from the store. Nothing happened. Shefelt sweating. She brought all theremaining ornaments and what she waswearing also put on the thulam. Still Status co. She now looked at Narada for away out. He put a solution. Humbly go and get Rukmini’s ornaments on requestingher. She would give pleasingly. Sathyabhamawent herself and knocked at Rukmini’s door having no other alternative. Openingdoor, Rukmini welcomed Sathya bhama and offered seat with smile. Sathya bhama was not in a mood to welcome and formal talks. She put the subjectmatter requesting politely Rukminisaid- I am ready to give all my ornaments. There is no need of your polite requestingtalk. I will open the door of my ornaments room and simply take as much as yourequire. Is it alright for you? Before that - can I see thethulabharam? Sathya bhama agreed. Rukminireached thulabharam site- A smiling Rukmini and sorrow Sathya bhama. Rukminilooked at Thulam and said- It need not require any more ornaments to add. Theweight of one thulasi leaf is sufficient. She asked Narada whether she could placea Tulasi leaf above the heaped gold ornaments. Narada agreed. Sathyabhama thought after heaping all ornaments nothing happened. Rukmini trying witha Tulasi leaf. How foolish she could be. Howevershe did not tell anything since to complete Tulabharam she required Rukmini’sornaments. She felt keeping silence was better. Let her also feel that nothinghappen in the movement of arms. Rukminitook a small Thulasi leaf from the nearby plant. She just placed over the heap of goldornaments. What a wonder. The arm Krishna wassitting went up as if double his weight is placed on the other arm. SoThulabharam was successfully completed. The pride of Sathya bhama washed way atthat moment. The heavy weight was an illusion made by Krishna for thatpurpose. Actually by placing quarter abasket of ornaments Tulam arm would have gone up. Iam not sure the Parijatha tree planting incident was earlier or subsequent tothis incident. 4. Temple Tulabharams Guruvayoortemple might have hundreds of tulabharam on a day. Tulabharam is offered forgetting cured of a disease, a successful operation, getting a good job, passingin examination, or simply as an offering for well being. Mostof the offering items are available in the temple. Devotees stand before theroom in the front of the Tulabharam room. With desired item Tulabharam isperformed to the person. Depending on the item specified charges are paid afterThulabhaam. No prasadam specially given. AfterTulabaram again devotee offers prayer at sanctum to deity before leaving. I will continue with Tulam in nextposting -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thatha_patty+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1827318851.1484588.1633390144324%40mail.yahoo.com.
