Abel Bergaigne

Abel Henri Joseph Bergaigne (31 August 1838 – 6 August 1888) was a French Indologist and scholar of Sanskrit. He wrote a number of books related to religion and philosophy. He published the beginning of a study on grammatical construction, which is regarded for its historical development. Languages included Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Germanic languages and others.^[1]

Abel Henri Joseph Bergaigne
Born	31 August 1838 Vimy, Pas-de-Calais
Died	6 August 1888
Nationality	French
Occupation	Indologist

Biography

Born in Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, on 31 August 1838. After his father, he took a job in Registration service; however, his rising interest in literature and science led him to abandon the job.^[2]

In 1867, Bergaigne became a coach in Sanskrit. By 1877, he became a lecturer in Sorbonne, and in 1885, he was appointed as a professor of Sanskrit and comparative linguistic. Apart from Vedas, he had also translated Bhagavada Gita.^[3]

He died on 6 August 1888.^[4]

Legacy

His interpretation of Rigveda brought him worldwide fame. He was regarded as the leading Orientalist of France^[5] for his period. His work has influenced people such as Sylvain Lévi, Paul Mus, and others.^[6]

One review described his book La Religion Védique D'après Les Hymnes Du Rig-Veda as "an acute, careful, and comprehensive work by an able scholar."^[7]

Notable works

• La Religion Védique D'après Les Hymnes Du Rig-Veda, 1878
• Inscriptions sanscrites du Cambodge, 1882
• La division en adhyayas du Rig-Veda, 1888