If the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, with weapons in hand, killed me in battle unarmed and without resistance, that would be better for me

Arjuna’s proposal is suicidal and morally problematic. A-pratīkāram (without countering, without resistance) and a-śastram (without weapon) — two negations that define his offering as passive victim. Is this ahiṃsā or cowardice?

Kṛṣṇa will not respond directly to this proposal, but will reject it implicitly. True ahiṃsā cannot imply forcing others to commit parricide. If Arjuna refuses to fight, he forces his relatives to kill him, transferring his pāpa to them.

Kṣemataraṃ (better, healthier) — the comparative tara suggests moral calculation. But the calculation is defective: personal kṣema (welfare) at the cost of social duty is not true welfare.