śrī-śukaḥ uvāca - Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; ittham - thus; sva-bhṛtya-mukhyena - by the best of His devotees; pṛṣṭaḥ - questioned; saḥ - He; bhagavān - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hariḥ - Śrī Kṛṣṇa; prītaḥ - being pleased; kṣemāya - for the highest welfare; martyānām - of all conditioned souls; dharmān - religious principles; āha - spoke; sanātanān - eternal.

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Śrī Uddhava, the best of devotees, thus inquired from the Lord. Hearing his question, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was pleased and for the welfare of all conditioned souls spoke those religious principles that are eternal.