The latter. They were just trying to show he put up a brutal fight and went down hard like a man. It was just a way to try and end the show on some sort of positive note. Him doing another angle where he's promising "retirement" is silly considering he saved his career by defeating Lesnar at WM. (He wins the match where his career is on the line, but he 'retires' after losing the match where his career ISN'T on the line?)
Tomorrow night, I expect to see The Shield/Triple H revisited from the first Smackdown after Wrestlemania. Have HHH come out and give a speech about Lesnar... Not a boring and predictable "We're not finished yet" speech, but a speech that is more like him reflecting on their whole blood-boiled feud and talking about how Lesnar is perhaps the toughest opponent he's ever stood opposite of the ring with but that he's also shown Lesnar that there's equally tough opponents that can stand across the ring from him too, like himself (HHH.) Then The Shield's music hits and a massive beat down ensues. The best beat down The Shield will have given to anyone yet.
