Y Babji, Editor, PR Voice

Media Praxis and the Bhagavad Gita

Author: Dr Suman Kumar Kasturi

Prime Pages (an imprint of Nexus Publishing House), 2026
Foreword by Prof K. Mani (Swami Shankarananda);
Afterword by Prof Chinnaswamy Pichandi

Dr Suman Kumar Kasturi, an Air Veteran and feature writer, offers a refreshingly original reading of the Bhagavad Gita through the lens of communication theory and public relations in this book. Blending his wartime experience while serving in the Indian Air Force (including service during the Kargil recapture at Bathinda) with academic rigour from his rich qualifications, including a PhD, Dr Suman argues that Krishna’s discourse to Arjuna is not merely spiritual philosophy but a masterclass in ethical, context-sensitive communication that can guide media practitioners, PR professionals and leaders today.

It is organised into four parts:

1. The Breaking Zone (6 chapters) – sets up the conflict and shows how communication can resolve it.
2. The Apex (6 chapters) – correlates Gita teachings with media and PR models.
3. The Exit (6 chapters) – explores contemporary applications and contextual relevance of the Gita for righteous media.
4. The Conclusion – distils the essential communication principles distilled from the Gita, alongside formal back matter.

Dr Suman introduces the three classic models of communication, viz., transmission, interaction and transaction and maps them onto the Krishna–Arjuna dialogue. He frames Gita as a two-way process: Krishna’s role (dominant) resembles feedforward (guidance, vision) while Arjuna’s (minimal but crucial) mirrors feedback (doubt, clarification and surrender).

Key Contributions Found

Warfare and Communication: Drawing on his Air Force background, Dr Suman analyses the Gita through the six phases of warfare, showing how each stage demands specific communicative strategies, i.e., clarity, empathy, persuasion, and relationship-building.

PR Principles from the Gita: The book highlights how Krishna embodies transparency, ethical persuasion, responsiveness, and contextual awareness, i.e., core tenets of modern public relations.

Media Ethics: The afterword by Prof Pichandi underscores how “good and righteous media” can dispel confusion with clarity, echoing the Gita’s call for dharmic action in public discourse.

Strengths

Innovative Interdisciplinary Lens: Few works bridge ancient scripture and Communication/PR theory so systematically.

Accessible Framework: The three-model approach (transmission–interaction–transaction) makes complex ideas digestible for students and practitioners.

Personal Credibility: Dr Suman’s military service, journalism experience and academic mentors lend authenticity to his “warrior-scholar” perspective.

Limitations

The heavy reliance on the warfare metaphor may not resonate with all readers, especially those seeking a purely spiritual or philosophical reading.

Some correlations between Gita verses and PR models feel interpretive rather than empirically grounded.

Opinion

Media Praxis and the Bhagavad Gita is a timely, thought-provoking work that repositions the Gita as a handbook for ethical communication in the media age. It will appeal to Scholars of media studies, Journalists, PR professionals, Managers and anyone interested in applying timeless wisdom to modern challenges of misinformation, polarization and leadership.

The book contains layers of insight about ethics, communication, leadership or the Gita’s relevance that become clear only when readers interpret thoughtfully, not just skim the words.

As Prof Mani notes in the foreword, the book “unites philosophy, psychology and ethics through the power of communication”, a rare and valuable synthesis.