Thiruvalluvar's Religion

Let me start this posting with the rationalistic thundering of Thiruvalluvar:

113: "EpporuL yAr yAr vAi kEtpinum apporuL meipOrul kAnbadu arivu".
meaning "Whatever you hear from whichever person, think about the truth of it and then accept it if it is the truth."

I remember reading the late Kanchi Seer quoting extensively from Thirukkural in Deivathin Kural essentially to prove two or three points - a) The vedhic religion is not alien to the Dravidian culture b) The brahmins have alway been part of the Dravidian culture and c) there never was an Aryan invasion of India.

It's interesting that he quotes "marappinum othuk kolalaagum paarppaan pirappu ozhukkam kunrak kedum". Paarppan by the way is Brahmin. The meaning of the kural is
"The Brahmin who has forgotten his scriptures could read them up again;But if he neglects right conduct he will lose his birth-right."

Let us look at some of the other kurals where references to Andhanar or paarppan or Aruthozhilalar or to Vedhic religion are made in Thirukural.BTW, different schools interpret the meaning of the words Andhanar, Paarppan and Aruthozhilalar in different ways.

25: "aIndhavithaan aatral agalvisumbu LaarkOmaan inthiranE saalum kari "
meaning "Indra, the king of inhabitants of the spacious heaven, is himself, a sufficient proof of strength of him who has subdued his five senses"
Indra by the way is a vedic god.

30: "ANDHANAR enbor aravor,marraveyuirkkum sendhanmai poondolukalan"
meaning ""The virtuous are called as bhramins,since they help all living beings""

413: "Seviyunavir Kelvi YudaiyAr Aaviyunavin AandrArO doppar nilathu"
meaning "Those who in this world enjoy the instruction which is the food of the ear, are equal to the Gods, who enjoy the food of the sacrifices".
Sacrifices by the way are central to vedhic religion.

543: "ANDANAR noorkum arathirkum athiyayi nindrathu mannan kol"
meaning "The Brahmins's scripture and virtue spring from the sceptre of a stately king"

560: "aapayan kundrum,ARUTHOLILOR nool marappar, kavalan kaavaan enin..."
meaning "If a king doesnt guard properly cows will stop secreting milk and bhramins will forget vedas".

610: "Madiyilaa Mannavan Eithum adiyalanthAn thA AyadhellAm orungu"
meaning "The king who never gives way to idleness will obtain entire possession of the whole earth passed over by that God who measured the worlds by His foot"
a reference to thirivikraman – incarnation of lord narayana.

617: "madiyuLaaL maamugadi enba madiyilaan thaaLuLaaL thaamaraiyi naaL"
meaning "They say that the black Mudevi (the goddess of adversity) dwells with laziness, and the latchmi (the goddess of prosperity) dwells with the labour of the industrious". Vishu's wife latchmi dwells in the lotus.

1103: "Thaamveezhvaar Menrol Thuyilin inidhukOl thamarai kannAn ulagu"
meaning "Can the lotus-eyed Vishnu's heaven be indeed as sweet to those who delight to sleep in the delicate arms of their beloved ?"

These might indicate that he tacitly acknowledges the then prevalent caste system where what one does was determined by birth and that he was acknowledges the gods and practices of the vedhic religion. However, the following couplets bring out his true stance on what we truly inherit by birth:

133: Ozhukkam udaimai kudimai izhukkum izhindha pirappAi vidum
meaning "Propriety of conduct is true greatness of birth, and impropriety will sink into a mean birth"

351: Porulalla Vatraip Porulendru unarum maruLANAM MANAp pirappu
meaning "Inglorius births are produced by the confusion of mind which considers those things to be real which are not real"

409: MerpirandhA Raayiynum kallAthAr Kizhppriandhum katrAr anaithilar pAdu
meaning "The unlearned, though born in a high caste, are not equal in dignity to the learned; though they may have been born in a low caste"

The killer ones being:

972: "Pirappookum yella vuyitkkum Sirappokkum Seythozhil vetrumai yaan"
meaning "All human beings are one in circumstances of birth. Diversities of works give each his special worth"

973: "Melirundhum Melallaar Melallar Kizhirundhum Kizhlallaar kizhal lavar"
meaning "The men of lofty line, whose souls are mean, are never great. The men of lowly birth, when high of soul, are not of low estate."

Plenty of articles are written to figure out which religion Thiruvalluvar belonged to. It is worth noting that the ASI has recently declared that Thiruvalluvar to be staunch follower of Jainism of Dravidian time.

My reading tells me that it's difficult to tell which religion Thiruvalluvar practiced. Amidst the lofty ideals, he seems to reflect ideas of the religions
that prevailed during his time. Different couplets can be interpreted in different ways. So, to take refuge in Thirvuvalluvar to make a point won't travel a long distance.