Answer
In ISKCON, you may have noticed that devotees raise their hands when they come before the Deity or during sankirtana. This gesture signifies surrender to the Supreme Lord.
By raising the hands, one symbolically expresses, “I am surrendering to the Lord.” Surrender is the best way to receive the protection of the Supreme Lord, the Holy Name, and the Vaishnavas.
Regarding whether performing one’s duties and offering the results to God is considered bhakti—the answer is yes. This is the basic way of practicing devotional service in the beginning stages.
At the initial level, one may not be able to directly engage in pure devotional activities all the time. However, even if one performs ordinary duties but offers the results to Krishna, that itself marks the beginning of devotional service.
