If I did not do action, all these worlds would collapse, would be destroyed, for want of the action that is the cause of the world's standing. And further, I would be the maker of confusion of classes; and for that reason I would strike down these creatures: having set out for the favouring of creatures, I would instead work their undoing. For Me, the Lord, that would be unfitting. If one like You, of fulfilled understanding, a knower of the Self, or another, has even so no task of his own to do, yet the favouring of others is still to be done. To this He says.

If I were not to do the action suited to My family, in just the same way all the exemplary men of the world, having their determination of law dependent on My conduct, would, by that very non-performance, sink down, would be ruined; and I would become the maker of the confusion of all exemplary families by the not-upholding of scriptural conduct, and so I would strike down these creatures. In just the same way you too, being Arjuna, the son of Pandu who is foremost among the exemplary, the younger brother of Yudhishthira, if, being exemplary, you take up the standing in knowledge, then those of incomplete knowledge who follow your conduct, exemplary men who seek liberation, not knowing their own qualification and not qualified for the standing in knowledge, would, taking up the standing in knowledge, perish. So by the learned man who is to be pointed to as exemplary action itself is to be done.

This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.

Madhvacharya does not comment on this verse.