I guess you're thinking of the Mahabharata as myth. Vyasadeva wrote it as a history. Literal truth, which is how I read it. The faults of the Pandavas were so minor, so trifling, that their falling at the end was to instruct us to correct out own lives.
Krishna told Arjuna on the battlefield that he had godly character (15th chapter Bhagavad Gita). And that He (Krishna) and Arjuna had taken birth many times in the past; that Arjuna is the eternally liberated companion of Bhagavan Krishna.
I can't believe you think that the Pandavas - or Bhishma - are terribly flawed persons.
Its been a while since I read it - so my recollection of Bhisma is a bit fuzzy. But I do think of the Pandavas as flawed - in fact, their actions are echoed in modern day India. How many times did the sons of Kuru try to kill them? And their reaction? Until pushed to the wall, they kept forgiving. Reminds me of Rana Pratap vs Ghazni, and India vs Pakistan. In the end, their inaction, or belated action, led to the destruction of the entire Yadava dynasty (though, it is said that that was Krishna's plan all along, and this was just a mechanism to make that happen, but that is another story).
We do disagree on Indian mythologies - I consider them as fiction, whereas you don't.
cheers
Just picked this up - so Bhishma was cursed for abducting Amba. Certainly a flawed individual.
Santanu, king of Hastinapura, was married to the beautiful Ganga, who was the river goddess in disguise. She agreed to marry him as long as he never questioned her actions. Over the years they had seven sons, but Ganga threw each one into the river. Santanu was distressed but he kept his promise. Finally, when their eighth son was born, Santanu asked his wife who she really was and why she had done this. Ganga revealed herself and told that her children had once been celestial beings, but were cursed to become human. She had ended their “punishment” quickly by drowning them immediately at birth. But since Santanu had questioned her actions, she left him, along with his last son Devarata.
Devarata is better known by his later name Bhishma. He receives this name, which means “of terrible resolve,” after vowing never to marry or have children. His father wanted to marry again (Satyavati, mother of Vyasa), but the conditions of the marriage were that the second wife would be the mother of a king someday. Honoring his father's wishes, Bhishma makes his vow, guaranteeing that neither he nor a son of his will challenge the claim to the throne.
Years later, one of Bhishma’s half-brothers dies in battle, and the other becomes old enough to marry. On behalf of his half-brother, Bhishma abducts three sisters and fights off all their suitors. On returning home, he learns that one of the sisters, Amba, had already chosen a suitor. Bhishma allows her to leave, but her betrothed does not want her any more. Now abandoned, she returns to Bhishma and demands that he marry her. Ever faithful to his vow, Bhishma refuses. Amba then vows that one day she will kill him, even though the gods have granted Bhishma the power to choose the day of his death, because of his vow.