In India the word `dharma` has always been employed in the sense of religion. Broadly speaking the concept of dharma is known to comprise principles, which aim at securing the material and spiritual nourishment and growth of the individual and society. As Margaretta Morris states, "The religion of a community is not something unrelated to its secular activities any more than the religious experience of an individual is apart from his general mental development." Philosophy in the Indian context wholly falls into the previous category, with religion, spirituality and faith being absolutely interlinked with each sublime aspect or thought. As such, religious influence on Indian philosophy has perhaps been the most, acting as the rather guiding factor for almost philosophical schools.

Religion in Indian philosophy has since time immemorial essayed a crucial role, both for the God-believer or the atheist, with Hindu philosophy leading the way. The Rigvedic Aryans realised that there existed a cosmic order or rtam. This cosmic order further circumscribed the universe like a wheel. The cosmic order also regulated the universe and kept the universe in place. In reality, it is Varuna`s pasa and has its physical basis as the belt of the zodiac from which no luminary deviates. The penalty for transgression whereof is ensnaring by the shackles of non-rta or darkness and death. This rta is the Rigvedic concept of dharma. The controller of this cosmic order or rta is called Varuna. The Rigvedic Aryans prayed to Varuna who is referred as the supreme ruler that he may punish them if they do not fulfill their duty towards friends, guests, brothers and other members of their families.

Religious influence on Indian philosophy is also delineated in another context. The term `dharma` has almost always been used in the sense of that power which sustains the universe. The concept of rta or dharma makes it clear that its intention was to maintain and safe-keep order in society. This order can successfully be preserved if every individual regards every other being as the creation of God and treats him on a basis of equality. The last hymn of Rig Veda sheds some light on the Rigvedic concept of dharma. It lays down that every human being should move together, speak together and their minds belong to one accord.

In order to comprehend religious influence upon Indian philosophy, it needs must first be realised that it is constituted upon Spirit and Matter. Spirit essays the role of involution; Matter essays the role of evolution. Spirit is an inward drive towards the sub-conscious; Matter is an upward journey towards the conscious. Spirituality in Indian philosophy has influenced ancient as well as modern thinkers to enlighten masses in yet another different concept of learning and assimilating. God has a habit of reiterating Himself so that no one stays ignorant with His Philosophy. In India, this divine philosophy has been embodied and verbalised in age after age by the Almighty`s spiritual masters and avatars, the direct descendants of God. Some of the luminaries are, Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Gautama Buddha, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Ramana Maharshi and Swami Vivekananda. Each philosopher of the highest order cognises Truth in his own way. Each one generates a path which others can espouse in order to arrive at the Destination. But the Truth itself remains unchanged. That is why it is said that Indian philosophy, Indian religion and Indian spirituality all possess the self-same source.

Religious influence on Indian philosophy is expressed in various terms, notations and faiths in various religious philosophical schools, like Hindu, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs or Charvakas. A spirit of harmony however is conveyed in a hymn of the Yajur Veda. It states that God pervades all the animate and inanimate objects of this universe. Man should enjoy these blessings lent to him by God; he should never be covetous in the process. If this attitude is acquired by every member of a community, it is sure to lead towards maintenance of friendly relations. By following this principle of dharma, man will perform only those deeds which are contributive to, not only his own well-being, but also to that of the society as a whole.

The Chandogya Upanishad also sheds some light on the concept of dharma. It lays down that an honourable man should develop the merits of penance, charity, straightforwardness, non-violence and truth. Again in another context, it regards stealing gold, drinking, killing a Brahmin and violating the teacher`s words as great sins. Chandogya Upanishad further lays down that an honourable man should possess noble thoughts, should behave politely with women, think of the well-being of all, show respect to every learned man and treat every human being as he himself wished to be treated by them. In fact, concentrating upon the various Indian philosophical schools, it comes up that each one has perhaps has similar grounds to state, but only that the mode of saying is different. For instance, what the Charvakas state about the Almighty, does not match with what the Buddhists state about the same.

Hindu philosophy is the longest surviving philosophical tradition in India. The several historical stages in this genre can wholly re acknowledged. The earliest, dating from approximately 700 B.C., was the proto-philosophical period, when the karma and liberation theories came into existence. The proto-scientific ontological lists in the Upanishads were also compiled during this period. Next to arrive was the classical period, sweeping the first millennium A.D. Unceasing philosophical exchange amongst different Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina schools happened during this time. Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit (astika) schools of thought, or darshanas (views), namely, Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Purva-mimamsa and Vedanta. Eventually, after the classical period only two or three Hindu schools persisted actively. Political and economic flutters caused by recurrent Muslim invasions had hindered intellectual expansion.

Shraman Bhagwan Mahavir had exposited and established the Dharma, or Jain philosophy and communicated it to his first disciple, Indrabhuti Gautam Swami and ten other Ganadhars (principal disciples). It was first stated by Bhagwan Mahavir in three statements which constitute the foundation of Jain philosophy and an all-inclusive statement of its essentials. The three statements are known as Tripati. The discerning factors of Jain philosophy constitute its conviction on independent subsistence of soul and matter, refutation of creative and omniscient God, effectiveness of karma and non-creationism, strong stress on non-violence, accentuation on relativity and multiple aspects of truth and morality and ethics based upon emancipation of soul.

Buddhist philosophy can be stated to have begun with a loss of innocence of Siddhartha Gautama in his youth, with the three legendary saddened episodes during one of his journeys. Much, later, post Gautama`s enlightenment, he and his disciples had expounded the principles of Buddhism and consequentially, philosophical thoughts. Buddhist philosophy is concerned extensively with problems in metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics and epistemology. The Buddha`s universal stance has been described as phenomenological and empirical, in preference to ontological or metaphysical.

Charvaka philosophy, named after its founder, Charvaka, was laid out in the Brihaspati Sutra in India, probably approximately in 600 BCE. Charvaka`s philosophy had germinated during a time when religious doctrine concerning knowledge of reality, the constitution of the universe and the concept of an after-life were being heavily questioned in India. Charvaka philosophy is thus absolutely characterised as a materialistic and atheistical school of thought. While this school of Indian philosophy is not weighed as a part of the six orthodox schools of Hinduism, it is remarkable as serving evidence of a materialistic movement within Hinduism.

Sikh philosophy is essentially monotheistic, believing in One Supreme God. The basic proposition of Sikhism is that life is not one of sin when it originates, but springs forth from a Pure Source, the True One abiding within it. Sikh religious philosophy is encompassed in great detail in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh sacred text.

Religion played a dominant role in all ancient cultures, especially in India where it was the prime factor influencing the lives of people for ages. It was because the forefathers had realised that man is not simply a body-life-mind complex. He is essentially and fundamentally a spiritual being. They also realised that he is endowed by God not only with his lower mind like other animals, but also with a higher mind which connects him with the Divine. Some higher spirit that enables him to differentiate the right from the wrong, pervades his conscience. They saw that complexities of the universe could not be explained by man`s senses alone. In the long and extensive process, ancient thinkers gave rise to philosophical schools and genres, with religion influencing Indian philosophy the most.