GPT4 tells a story about Annamacharya

Today, as an Annamacharya Keerthana played in the car while I was driving, I thought about how these things survived for centuries in those days. Ofcourse, I have some idea, thanks to growing up around those areas, and having familial connection to the life and culture of Tirupathi. But, I wondered how generative AI will narrate this. I tried with Mixtral and GPT-4. Mixtral was cutting the last sentence mid-way. So, I tried with GPT-4. Here is the response.

I thought it is a well-narrated (superficial though – don’t worry yet, human writers!) story, with a lot of missing details ofcourse! (For example, I thought there would be a mention of Veturi Prabhakara Sastri along with Rallapalli Ananthakrishna Sarma, with the very limited awareness I have about this).

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Prompt: Narrate the story of how Annamacharya’s songs have survived for centuries until today. Tell it in a Historical fiction narrative, in under 500 words.

Response:

In the fifteenth century, in the sacred town of Tallapaka, lived Annamacharya, a saint-poet whose devotion to Lord Venkateswara knew no bounds. His heart overflowed with melodies, divine compositions celebrating the celestial lord of Tirumala. These songs, dipped in devotion, were composed daily, tracing the contour of his unconditional love.

Upon sturdy palm leaves, his devoted son, Peda Tirumalacharya, inscribed these sacred hymns, ensuring their words would echo through time. These leaves, bearing the weight of devotion, were carefully secreted away in the deep, dark recesses of the holy Seven Hills, shrouded in mysticism and guarded by the divine.

As the hands of fate wove the tapestry of history, empires rose and crumbled, yet the essence of Annamacharya’s compositions hummed quietly within the nucleus of regional consciousness. They flourished in oral tradition, from the tongues of passing minstrels to the fervent chants of pilgrims ascending the sacred path to the godly abode of Tirumala.

The centuries marched on, until one day in the twentieth century, an insatiable curiosity led Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma on a scholarly quest to unearth a musical treasure long buried. With the benediction of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), a zealous search commenced, rummaging through the ancestral chambers of the revered temple where the past slumbered.

Miraculously, there in the dim-lit silence, the palm leaves whispered from their ancient hiding place. More than twelve thousand songs, cocooned in time, found light after centuries of seclusion. A monumental endeavor unfolded – translating, annotating, and breathing life back into the spiritual canticles of Annamaryacharya.

The reemergence of these compositions began weaving new threads into the spiritual tapestry of India. The voice of M.S. Subbulakshmi, a nightingale of modern times, carried ‘Kondalalo Nelakonna’ across the ether, enchanting souls far and wide. Her seraphic tones resurrected Annamacharya’s offerings, bestowing them upon the world.

Years tumbled like sand through an hourglass. The enduring songs of Annamacharya transcended the boundaries of their epoch. They adorned the lips of classical vocalists, resonated within the hallowed halls of temples during auspicious festivities, and infiltrated the airwaves, emerging as an inseparable element of cultural ethos.

A legacy, thus, wound its path through the fabric of time, preserving the voice of a poet whose love for the divine proved boundless. Across the earth, the songs sustained their celestial sojourn, cloaked in the rich reverence of their origin, yet unveiled for every heart to embrace.

The eternal tunes of Annamacharya, once engraved upon leaves, now etched into humanity’s soul, reassured all of the undying spirit of faith and art. Despite the relentless dance of time, they remain, amidst us, a reminder that in devotion, there is a beauty that endures beyond the grasp of ages.

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I always felt this episode of curating Annamacharya’s writings to the modern pubilc has a strong historical fiction storytelling sort of material. GPT-4 convinced me of it again. Now, I wish a knowledgeable human writer gets inspiration and writes the story!