The Importance of Devotion to God in Hinduism - Bhakti Yoga

Devotion to God is presented as one of the several ways to achieve "Moksha" or oneness with the Infinite, but perhaps the easiest. This idea is expressed in the "Bhagavad Gita" (Hindu scripture), ``Whosoever offers to Me with love a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even water, I appear in person before that devotee of sinless mind and delightfully partake of that article offered by him with love. Arjuna, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer as oblation to the sacred fire, whatever you bestow as a gift, whatever you do by way of penance, offer it all to Me.'' Again, ``To those devotees who worship Me, thinking of none else, who devote their mind to Me and are ever perseverent in My service and in My contemplation, I confer that permanent heavenly abode from which there is no return to life.''
Such devotion can be towards any form of the Infinite. A devotee of "Rama" will not spend a minute without thinking of Him and the Divine Mother. A "Shiva" devotee will spend his time eulogizing His "Lingam". If looked at more analytically, a "Karma Yogi" (one who serves the Infinite through service to society) immersed in the service of the poor and destitute sees God in them and hence cannot bear separation from them.
What is devotion? In short, it means submitting totally to God, discharging His obligations at His behest. How do we cultivate devotion? ``Concentrate and fix the mind on Me''. This sounds simple but in practice one knows how tough it is to tame the mind. When we sit in prayer, our minds are naturally unsteady, impetuous, powerfully defiant and unrelenting. To keep the mind subdued is as difficult as to control wayward wind. Concentration requires discipline and constant practice. So, ``If you cannot steady the mind, then seek to realize Me by practice which consists in constant retraction or withdrawal of the mind from worldly affairs. If you cannot discipline yourself, dedicate all your actions to Me." (Chanting His names all the time). "If you cannot do this either, take refuge in Me, renouncing all fruits of your actions." (Do everything as a service to God - looked at analytically, this will lead you into pious actions. Why would you do something evil if you wanted to do everything in the service of God?)