Tukaram Gatha; cite by first line

The person who treats the broken and suffering as their own family is a true saint. That is where God lives.

जे का रंजले गांजले । त्यासी म्हणे जो आपुले ।
तोचि साधू ओळखावा । देव तेथेचि जाणावा ॥

je ka ranjale ganjale | tyasi mhane jo apule |
tochi sadhu olakhava | dev tethechi janava ||

The person who treats the broken and suffering as their own family is a true saint. That is where God lives.

This profound verse from Sant Tukaram captures the absolute heart of family support in mental healthcare. When a loved one is "crushed" by severe depression, anxiety, or trauma, true care means stepping toward them and claiming their suffering as your own, rather than pushing them away in frustration. The verse elevates this everyday act of family support to the highest spiritual practice. However, claiming someone as your own comes with strict boundaries. It is not a licence to give them harsh lectures, scold them for their symptoms, or force them to "just cheer up." Furthermore, family love must never be used as an excuse to hide a severe illness from the outside world out of shame. Claiming the afflicted as your own means standing by their side and loving them enough to walk them through the doors of a clinic or hospital when they desperately need a doctor.