ARIEL, Édouard-Simon. Nantes 5.10.1818 — Pondichéry 23.4.1854. French Marine Officer and Indologist (Tamil scholar) in India. Son of Simon Ariel, lieutenant of royal customs in Nantes, and Victoire-Aglaë Gaultron. From 1836 in navy, 1840-44 in marine administration in Paris, then also student of Burnouf. In 1844 he went to Pondichéry and worked as Deputy Commissar of marine, from 1846 also as Conservator of Pondichéry Library and Archives. On advice of Burnouf, he began collecting and studying Tamil literature. During ten years he achieved a big collection of Tamil and Sanskrit manuscripts and books, left by him to Société asiatique and later deposited in Imperial Library in Paris. Last years he was seriously ill, but refused ro return to France as his research remained incomplete.

Publications: “Tiruvaḷḷuvar Tcharitra. Extrait concernant Aovaé et sa généalogie”, JA 4. s. 9, 1847, 5-49; “Lettre à M. Burnouf sur les Kuraḷ”, JA 4. s. 12, 1848, 416-433 (423ff. fragments traduits); “Tiruvalluvar: Kur’al. Fragments traduits du Tamoul. Livre deuxième de la fortune et livre troisième de l’amour”, JA 4. s. 19, 1852, 381-435.

– “Bilhana: Tschorapantchaçat, publié, traduit et commenté”, JA 4. s. 11, 1848, 469-534 (Southern recension).

– M. Gobalakichenane (ed.), Avvaïyâr: Âttissoûdy. Traduit par Édouard Ariel, précédée d’une introduction et de la vie d’Éd. Ariel (1818–1854). P. 2002.

Sources: M. Gobalakichenane, “La littérature sapientiale tamoule et la contribution d’Edouard Ariel”, JA 294, 2006, 197-214 (offers no further information) and “Éd. Ariel: His Life and Preliminary Pioneer Buddhist Research Works”, Buddhist Studies Review 17, 2000, 199-2006 (better); J. Vinson, Manuel, p. xxvif.; briefly in Archives nationales d’outre-mer in Web; agorha.inha.fr; not in the Arch. biogr. franç.