Idam (Tamil) (Sanskrit: इदम् or अयम् or इयम्) is a Tamil/Sanskrit word which denotes location or position or place. In grammar it is used at the beginning or middle of a sentence as a nominative or attributive pronoun, combined with or without ya, adds emphasis to other nouns, propositions etc.; and means - this, here or yonder, present or seen nearby, fit for, or without reference to noun refers to एतद् ('that') or to what precedes. Overview In the Bhagavad Gita (Sloka XVI.13), in the phrase – इदम् अस्तीदम् अपि मे the word, idam, has been used to mean 'this', "this it is, this also mine", and in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Stanza I.i.10) in the phrase – पर्याप्तं त्विदम् एतेषां, meaning "sufficient though that of these", idam used as एतद् refers to 'that', whereas (in Stanza. II.5.9) in the phrase – अयम् स्तनयित्नुः, meaning "Thunder is Vayu", ayam refers to 'is'. In the phrase – ब्रह्म इदम् सर्वं, which means - "Brahman possessing all the qualities is all-pervading", the word idam is used in the sense of 'it is', the Atman is identified with idam sarvam and the same phrase also expresses the whole world because the world springs from the Atman as is indicated in Stanza V.iii.1. In the Vedas, idam as ayam has been used as a subject in nominal sentences as an equivalent of a proposition. Connotation In Pada 32 of Book II Ch.IV of his Ashtadhyayi Pāṇini, who states that words apply per object, explains that: इदमोऽन्वादेशेऽशनुदात्त तृत्यादौ || in the room of idam 'this', in case of its re-employment in a subsequent member of the same sentence and referring to the same thing (anvadesha i.e. adesha after re-employment) there is the substitution of as’ which is a anudatta i.e. gravely accented, when the third case-affix and the rest follow. That means – अ replaces इदम् in all cases except the nominative and the accusative. In this context Katayayana stipulates that one should specify a pronominal used in subsequently referring to something should be co-referential with a previously used term because replacement by an anaphoric pronoun should not possibly be allowed where there is not co-reference. And, with regard to taddhita affixation abstract patterns like tasya idam ('prescribing a genitive relationship'), tad asmin ('prescribing a locative relationship') and tat karoti ('prescribing an action meaning involving an accusative relationship') have been identified. The genitive form of idams