〔第六段〕
鬼あり。焰口と名づく。その貌、醜して、痩せ枯れたり。口の中より、火燃えて、咽喉針の如し。髪乱れて、爪長く、牙長くして、甚だ恐れつべし。この鬼、阿難尊者に遇ひて、苦患の耐へ難きことを悲しむ。阿難尊者、これを聞きて、憐れみの心を起こして、鬼の苦を救ふべき有様を、仏に問ひ奉りて、仏号を唱へて、様々の施を行じて、鬼の苦患を救ひけり。
There was a demon. It was named the ‘fire breather’. Its appearance was hideous, wasted and withered. Fire burned in their mouths, and their throats like needles. Its hair was tangled, claws and fangs were long, and it should be extremely and definitely fearful. This ghost met Venerable Ananda; he lamented the situation of difficulty of bearing the pain. Venerable Ananda heard it, he woke up the compassion heart, he humbly asked the Buddha the situation that should he save the suffering of the ghost, and he chanted the Buddha’s name, did various almsgiving, and I heard he saved the ghost from hellish pain!
The fire comes out of the mouth of ‘fire breather’ indicates their throats like needles.
この鬼、阿難尊者に遇ひて、苦患の耐へ難きことを悲しむ。
This ghost met Venerable Ananda; he lamented the situation of difficulty of bearing the pain.
ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
The ‘fire breather’ is a type of Hungry Ghost. The 'Dharani Sutra of Saving the Hungry Ghosts of the Fire Breather' mentions the Buddhist ritual about 'fire breather'. In nowadays, 'fire breather' becomes the name of this ritual. See more details here.
Venerable Ananda is one of the ten disciples of the Buddha. See more details here.