My world has been revolving around RAG and Raga for a reasonable time and I have been meaning to put it on pen and paper for a while. Most people have heard the term RAG in the recent past in the context of Artificial Intelligence, however you may not be familiar of its uncanny resemblance with Raga - let me explain!
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is an approach in AI where a language model is enhanced by retrieving relevant external information at query time and that information is used to generate a response. It comprises of two steps - 'retrieval' to query the information from a vector database and 'generation' wherein the retrieved context is passed into a large language model, which then generates a response grounded in that external information.
RAGA on the other hand is a melodic composition which is a part of Indian Classical Music, which has its roots in musical chants created between 3000 to 6000 years back. A raga uses a specific series of notes in the Solfege (SaReGaMa ) in ascending and descending patterns and characteristic musical phrases to evoke a distinct mood or emotion. A Raga is not a song - it's a framework. A musician draws from years of internalized notes and phrases, characteristic melodic patterns, emotional “flavors” (rasa) and a grammar that guides what can be expressed.
When they perform, they are not inventing from thin air. They are retrieving from a deep internal library—musical memory, lived experiences, discipline and then generating something new through improvisation. The art lies in how skillfully they move between memory and creativity.
I feel blessed to be navigating both realms with equal fervor. As part of my work or natural curiosity, i have been ramping up my knowledge of Artificial Intelligence and RAG amongst it. On the other hand i have been devoting considerable time and effort to learn various Ragas for the last five years including Desh, Bhairav, Bhairavi, Bhimpalasi, Kafi, Patdeep, Purvi, Kedar, JaiJaiwanti and Marwa to name a few.
I am currently pursuing Visharad, a seven-year Bachelor's degree in Indian Classical Music, and preparing for my fifth-year examinations.
Perhaps this is where technology and tradition quietly meet:
structured retrieval, disciplined learning, and the timeless human urge to create.
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