PAVIE, Théodore Marie. Angers (Maine-et-Oise) 16.8.1811 — 1.5.1896 (or 29.4.). French Indologist. Professor in Paris. Son of Louis Joseph Pavie (1782–1859), a printer, and Eulalie Fabre (died early), brother of the poet and art historian Victor Pavie (1808–1886). Educated at Collège Royal d’Angers. Travelled much in his early years, in North America (1829-30, visiting Canada, New York and his uncle in Louisiana, also Texas), then South America (1832-33, in Santiago, Lima and the Andes). In 1835-39 student of Burnouf and Garcin de Tassy. In 1839-40 visited Egypt and India, in 1845-47 travelled in Spain and Portugal. After the death of his teacher Burnouf he was in charge of Sanskrit teaching at Collège de France in 1852-57. In 1857 retired into private life unwilling as a royalist to serve the empire. His last 40 years he spent in his small château in Anjou and never travelled again. Occasionally taught at Facultés Libres de l’Ouest. Married 1842 Cornélie Mondain Gennevraye (d. 1894), no children.

Pavie was the favourite student of Burnouf (for whose Introduction he compiled the index), who waited no less of him than full translations of the Ṛgveda and the Mahābhārata, but his Indological output is rather meagre. He was also interested in Sinology. An early friend of Hugo, Delacroix and Sainte-Beuve.

Publications: Souvenirs atlantiques. Voyage aux États-Unis et au Canada. 1-2. P. 1833; Fragments d’un voyage dans l’Amérique méridionale en 1833. 254 p. Angers 1840; Scènes et récits des pays d’outre-mer. 472 p. P. 1853.

– Choix de contes et nouvelles, trad. du chinois. 4+298 p. P. 1839; Le San-Koué-tchy, histoire des trois royaumes, trad. sur les textes chinois et mandchou. 1-2. P. 1845-51.

– Translated: “Swayambara, Épisode du Mahâbhârata”, JA 3:7, 1839, 218-246; “La reconnaissance d’Ardjouna, Fr. du Gôharana”, JA 3:7, 1839, 465-498; “Saôptika parva. Épisode du Mahâbhârata”, JA 3:10, 1840, 431-466 & 3:11, 1841, 70-92.

– “Quelques observations sur le Gouzerati et le Maharatti”, JA 3:11, 1841, 193-214.

– Translated: Fragments du Mahabharata. 18+342 p. P. 1844; Tárikh-i-Asham. Récit de l’expédition de Mir-Djumlah au pays d’Assam, trad. sur la version hindoustani de Mir-Huçaini. 31+316 p. P. 1845; Krichna et sa doctrine. Bhagavat dasamaskand, dixième livre du Bhagavat-Pourana, trad. sur le manuscrit hindoui de Lalatch Kab. 60+420 p. P. 1852 (from Braj Bh.).

– Index to Burnouf’s Le lotus de la bonne loi. P. 1852.

– “Quelques observations sur le mythe du serpent chez les hindous”, JA 5:5, 1855, 469-529.

– Edited & translated: “Ballâla: Bhôdjaprabandha, Histoire de Bhôdja, roi de Malwa, et des Paṇḍits de son temps”, JA 5:3, 1854, 185-230; 5:4, 1854, 385-431; 5:5, 1855, 76-105; “La légende de Padmani, reine de Tchitor, d’après les textes hindis et hindous”, JA 5:7, 1856, 5-47, 89-130, 315-343.

– From 1835 articles and reviews in Revue de Deux-Mondes (e.g. “Jongleurs de l’Inde”, 1840; “L’Ile Bourbon”, 1844; “La littérature musulmane de l’Inde”, 1846; “Le Thibet”, 1847), and in Bull. de la Soc. de géogr., JA, etc. and, after long silence, six papers about the Rāmāyaṇa in Revue des Facultes catholiques de l’Ouest 1894-96.

– Récits de terre et de mer. 170 p. P. 1860; Récits des Landes et des Grèves. 12+288 p. P. 1863; Victor Pavie: sa jeunesse, ses relations littéraires. 10+376 p. Angers 1887 (on his elder brother).

Sources: H. Cordier, TP 7, 1896, 417-423; *A. Crosnier, Th.P.: le voyageur, le professeur, l’écrivain, l’homme et le chrétien. Angers 1897; L. G. Vapereau in Arch. biogr. fr.; N.B.G. 39, 1862, 422; Windisch 148; www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online 2004; French Wikipédia with portrait medal and further references.