Translated loosely, ek Onkar means "one (ek) God (Onkar)," derived from the Sanskrit on. Sikhism, a religion centered in India that combines teachings of Hinduism and Islamic Sufism, was founded in the late 1400s and early 1500s by the first Sikh guru, a mystic named Nanak. The most significant words used in Sikh teachings, ek Onkar emphasizes the oneness of God, a basic tenet of Sikhism.