A Short Spirituality Scale Grounded in the Bhagavad Gita: Development and Validation in India

Spirituality is increasingly recognized for its association with emotional and physical health. However, many existing measures conflate it with general well-being or religiosity, making it difficult to examine spirituality as a distinct construct. The present study introduces the Short Spirituality Scale (SSS) to address this problem. It consists of a ten-item spirituality measure grounded in the Bhagavad Gita's four paths of spiritual growth-karma (selfless action), jñāna (discernment), dhyāna (meditation), and bhakti (devotion). Textual analysis, expert input, and cognitive interviewing were used to develop the items to enhance clarity, inclusiveness, and cultural sensitivity. Although items were written to represent the four yogic paths, psychometric analyses consistently supported a stable two-factor structure-Acceptance of Divine Presence and Abidance in the Absolute. Exploratory (N = 204) and confirmatory (N = 277) factor analyses showed strong model fit. Reliability analyses demonstrated good internal consistency, high test-retest stability, and moderate inter-rater agreement. Validity testing (N = 417) found that higher spirituality correlated with better life satisfaction and flourishing. Higher spirituality scores were also negatively associated with burnout, depression, stress, anxiety, and neuroticism, supporting strong concurrent, convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity. Preliminary percentile-based reference values from an adult sample (N = 1,682) provide age- and gender-specific interpretation. The SSS fills a critical methodological gap by offering one of the few spirituality measures grounded in a coherent philosophical framework rather than fragmented or atheoretical item pools. It assesses spirituality as an orientation toward transcendence rather than as well-being and is potentially useful in mental health practice, public health programs, and spiritual care.