I really do not know why this stotram is attributed to time unmanifested. It is also described as the “Teekshna Damstra KAralam stotram” sometimes and even this, to me, makes no sense. The translation of the verses seems to indicate that this is some sort of trace of the various paths to the “thought that preserves the unmanifested”.

I will translate this also in a series of blogs, since there are 8 verses and it is too much for a single blog. The starting of these lines of verses such as “Yam”, “Sam”, “Dam” etc., most of the time is translated as “bija mantras” or “seed mantras”. I wonder what that means. My take is that the correct repeated chanting of these mantras should evoke the subsequent meaning that is described in that line. Have we lost the correct chanting and hence lost the meaning? I wonder if we have retained only a ghost of the original meaning! But, here goes what I think this means.

Yam Yam Yam Yaksha Roopam Dasha Dishi Viditam Bhoomi Kampaayamaanam
yaksha = spirit roopam = form dashadishi = 10 directions 
viditam = known as bhoomi = matter 
kam+pAya + mAnam =comfort + sucking continuously + notion/idea

Sam Sam Samhaara Murtim Shira Mukuta Jataa Shekharam Chandra Bimbam
samhAra = collection mUrtim = form 
shira + mukuTa = crown of the head 
jaTa =  entangled kshetaram = environment 
chandra bimbam = bright + illumintaion

Dam Dam Dam Deergha Kaayam Vikruta Nakha Mukham Hyurdhva romam Karaalam
dIrgha = deep kAyam = group vikruta = changing 
nakha = fierce mukam = face hyurdhva = mental activity 
romam = void karAla = immense

Pam Pam Pam Paap Naasham Pranmata Satatam BHAIRAVAM KSHETRA PAALAM !!1!!
pApa = imperfection Nasham = destroyed 
Prana + mata = thought of prana satatam = perpetual 
bhairavam kshetra pAlam = unmanifested environment preserve

Note, again, I have changed the Shekaram to kshetaram, environment instead of peak point. When the context of Shira MukuTa jaTa is translated as “twisted hair at the peak of the head”, then Shekaram makes sense, where as when we start translating the jATa with Chandra Bhimbam which is bright illumination or light, it is becomes kshetharam or the “entangled environment of bright light”.

Bhoomi as matter instead of earth. nakha, translated as claw when related to the living, translates as fierce without a reference. hryudhva is translated as “heart”, but here I have translated it as “mental activity” or in short they are “thoughts”.

So, we are looking at the translation of this verse as:

Yam is spirit form known in 10 directions as matter enjoying comfortable ideas
Sam is the form of the collection of the entangled environment of bright light at the crown of the head
Dam is intense collection of the changing face of fierce thoughts of this immense void
Pam is the destruction of imperfection of that perpetual thought of prana, that preserves the unmanifested environment

This is definitely thought provoking isn’t it? If we look at the path traversed here, it starts with a outer spirit enjoying matter, going to the inner electric signals that travel to the head to create this spirit, goes to the deeper thoughts that has triggered this signals and stops at that specific thought that is preserving the unmanifested environment so that the cycle of manifestation can be maintained.

Going on to the next verse:

Ram Ram Ram Raktavarnam, Kata katitam Teekshna DaMshTraa Karaalam
rakta + varnam = description of attachment or adhesion 
kaTakaTita = noise made when rubbing two substances together 
tIkShNa = hot daMshTrA = sharp edges karAlam = immense

Gham Gham Gham Ghosha Ghosham Gha Gha Gha Gha Ghatitam Ghargharam Ghora naadam
ghoSha = noise Ghosham = of noise ghA = indeed / surely 
GhaTitam = made of ghargharam = gurgling noise 
ghora = violent nAdam = sound / noise

Kam Kam Kam Kaala Paasham Dhruka Dhruka Dhrukitam Jwaalitam Kaamadaaham
kAla = time pAsham = trap dhruka = holding 
dhrukitam = of supporting jvalitam = radiant 
kAma + daham = desire + heat

Tam Tam Tam divya Deham, Pranmata Satatam, BHAIRAVAM KSHETRA PAALAM !!2!!
divya =  sublime deham = body 
Prana + mata = thought of prana satatam = perpetual 
bhairavam kshetra pAlam = unmanifested environment preserve

Here, “tIkShNa daMshTrA karAlam” is usually translated as “sharp fangs open wide”. Like I have said over and over again, that translation works if we want to apply the description to a human form. The minute we remove the human form from the translation, we have to look for meanings that are agnostic to sentience. In this case, “tIkShna daMshTra KarAlam” then becomes “immense hot sharp edges”

So, this translates to:

Ram is the adhesive noise when two immense hot sharp edges are rubbed together
gham is noise, noise indeed made of gurgling noise, violent noise
kam is the trap of time bearing the radiant heat of desire 
tam is the sublime body of that perpetual thought of prana that preserves the unmanifested environment

Going with the trend of the first verse, this should also be a path from outside to the thought of prana. Is this the path of noise I wonder? Noise made by sharp edges, to the gurgling noise to the noise of heat from that sublime body which is associated with the thought of prana?

This translation is strange!