Keris suitability according to Balinese belief/numerology

[jagabuwana]

Rick - the actual measurement in inches or cm doesn't matter. You got 22. Seven goes into 22 three times, with a remainder of 1. Good for a warrior

David - it probably never ends up the same. As Alan said - believe. The inconsistencies likely have internally consistent explanations that insulate them from error.

As for the context under which this occurs, buying a keris off someone, being given a keris by someone or finding a keris seem appropriate. As for giving and receiving pusaka, this seems to be exempt. I don't know the convention or supernatural beliefs around this in Balinese culture, but in my own culture (Sundanese) you become the custodian by the good judgment of whoever gives it to you, and sometimes from "advice" given by your ancestors. In absence of that, if it was not meant for you or you mistreat it, it is believed that the objects can either disappear mysteriously, you become violently ill until the object is given to someone suitable (or returned, in the case of theft), or the "essence" or power of the object leaves its shell. I'm sure there are some standards and conventions around pusaka custodianship to which these tests of suitability do not apply.

Interestingly, Pemangku Ketut Mudra mentioned that while you can make kerises for specific people and imbue the keris with specific talismanic qualities, he thought that this was a wrong or improper thing to do, based on how wrong it could go, and how you could never guarantee how that person would yield the power.