Mucukunda thought, "Oh, then, do you want to separate me from yourself? No, you should not do that. Do not do that." Seeing Mucukunda’s great anxiety, Krsna then considered, "In this avatara, he should not associate with me directly. My associates such as Arjuna, Yudhistira, Uddhava and Akrura, appearing at the end of Dvapara yuga, seeing you who are from the beginning of the manvantara, will laugh when they see your huge form so different from themselves. And in the pastime of fleeing Jarasandha, kidnapping Rukmini, and fighting with Jarasandha and Salva etc, you will not be suitable to be with me. You will kill them all like mosquitoes, crushing them in your two hands. But then what reason should I give to separate you from me?" After thinking like this, he said something a little false to mislead Mucukunda. Thus he speaks this verse.

Showing fear, you should engage in penance to teach others. This is actually a secondary purpose. The main purpose was to increase longing by delay, in order to produce Mucukunda’s intense prema for the Lord. This was the Lord’s great mercy after he praised Mucukunda’s good qualities because the Lord’s good nature. Or, to increase his longing, the Lord shows the semblance of his final duties. By concentration upon me (tapasā), give up impressions -enter a state of fainting.

First undergo penance. Make a show of destroying sin. Lack of mercy is indicated, but actually he had no sin, since such killing was allowed for kṣatriyas. You killed living beings by hunting or fighting. Lack of friendship with all beings is not suitable for pure bhakti. Steadily performing austerity, as a vānaprastha, remain surrendered to me by austerities. The meaning is this. By lack of pure bhakti, you do not have qualification for serving my feet directly. In Kali-yuga, wandering the earth will agitate the mind. Giving up association with material people, you should remain in a solitary place for your benefit. There, according to your capacity perform austerities. By offering that, worship of me will bear fruit. I instruct you to do this austerity as a show of destroying sin.