Karma (activity of rituals etc) is not a prerequisite for self-knowledge, jnanam. Motivated actions towards a goal (sadhya) is always limiting, in the doer as well as the pursuit (sadhana) of a focused result. Whereas an effortless and spontaneous life is full of intelligent and purposeful activity. Brahmajnanam is not the knowledge of the other, nor of the Self. Brahman is itself jnanam, Satyam jnanam anantam Brahma. Brahman is not the known (goal) and is beyond the means of knowing (pramana). However, Upanisads and the Gita proclaim that Brahman is worth knowing (realizing) and it is the very being of all living beings. Brahman is the means, it is the known, it is the knower, and it is free from the means, free from the known, and free from the knower. Then how to proceed? The very purpose of the means (sadhana) must be modified. It can only help in negating the wrong notions about Brahman. Sri Sankara says there are four prerequisites to understand the vision of Brahman and is followed by seekers in Vedanta. Viveka, Vairagya, Shamadhamadi, Mumukshutvam.
Viveka, nitya-anitya vastu viveka. The discernment between the timeless and time bound.
Knowing what is transitory ( is psychologicaly time bound), and what is permanent. Desiring the result (phala) for an action (karma), creates psychologically dependent time. Identification (doership) with the karma binds us to consequences and time. The Reality, Brahman is timeless.
To discover this needs sincere enquiry in understanding "who am I", "what am I". To whom do desires come? Am I the doer-enjoyer? The Viveka - understanding of time, how it is created, and understanding time-bound vs timeless (e.g. sun light that shines constantly), takes you to Brahmajnanam.
Discover that I am not the physical body (it changes in time), and more importantly I am not the mind (Ego, Memory and Intellect), because I can observe it changing constantly in time, and during sleep, the mind is not active, but I continue to exist. Am I a "person" with a name? The "person" came about after a lot of "conditioning" (accumulated knowledge, habits, ego etc). But the person is forgotten at times of genuine laughter, happiness, and sleep. So claiming the person to be the doer-enjoyer is also time-bound and changeable. Moksha (freedom) is not For the person, but From taking I to be a person. As you enquire, the Viveka (understanding) gives inner space to witness and discern the changing. Bondage and fear come from mixing up of Real and Unreal (changing) phenomena. A lot of false is mixed up in "I am …". Need to discard the false identifications. Know that "I am" is satya (truth) and nitya (timeless). Understanding that everything else is asatya, anitya (transient), it is a great relief.
Vairagya Dispassion, detachment, disenchantment to the things of the world (and heaven etc).
Need to cultivate dispassion with sense-driven pleasures (senses are like horses pulling you in all directions) and resulting transient enjoyment (bhoga). This leads to distractions, and repeating cycles of pleasure and pain and fear. This also applies to music, chanting etc. There is delusion (moha) in assuming there is joy in the external objects. We get caught up in the waves of samsara (pleasure-pain cycles), and on the verge of sorrow at every external event. That prevents us from experiencing the inner "bliss" of the sat,chit,ananda of our swarupa.
Vairagya is neither contempt for nor amnesia of things. It is a state of mind in which it does not occur to us to enjoy things, no interest in the world. In case of doubt about "how will I live with vairagya?". There is a law, "you will get what you need (and not necessarily what you ask for)' - called prarabdha.
Detachment from the world allows you to know the truth of oneself. That is the best way to live a happy, contented life of fullness. Vedantin is only interested in contemplation, study and keeping the body in good shape so that it does not get in the way. It is a radical transformation. The state of complete vairagya is achieved by only a few people, it is the very threshold of Self-knowledge.
Without Viveka and vairagya, there is no Vedanta. Study of Vedanta without Vairagya is self-deception. Do not count what you have given up (or even remember them), just think "what else can I give up". Vairagya never makes us suffer, only raga (desires) makes us suffer.
Shamadhamadi (Shad-sampat) The six-fold effort (or wealth that we need to cultivate) has a single goal, to address the capriciousness of the mind (vikshepa- scattered, agitated and constantly preoccupied).
Shama, Dhama, Uparati, Titiksha, Sraddha, Samadhana
Shama - douse the mind of fire of thoughts. Let the mind be quiet and not jump in myriads of thoughts at every sense or experience. Watch and quieten the “listless” thinking, “noodle thinking”, “busy” thinking. Cultivate Vasana shanti, peace from the habitual, conditioned thinking
Organs of knowledge through the sense organs. Action driven by desires - Kamya Karma (of desiring something) and fear (of not doing/getting it ) tend to bind us. Avoid being pulled into sensory driven actions (avoid getting pulled by the sense horses). Perform Nitya karma (duty-oriented karma). Cultivate cessation of restlessness of sense organs and organs of action. The vikshepa created by the senses must be quietened.
Uparati - worldly ambition driven action can never make a person happy in the long run. Uparati is the medicine ambitious people need. When you become free from desires and fears, the divinity within starts manifesting. You become a loving, generous and compassionate individual and act purposefully. Natural things happen naturally. The cessation of vikshepa created by the mind for unnecessary activity.
Titiksha- it is an attitude of acceptance and endurance without any negativity. (not tolerance or accommodation which denote negativity). Titiksha applies to two sets of opposites, comfort/discomfort which is physical, and pleasure/pain which is psychological. No need to complain, endure what comes along, bear with them, they come and go and are transient. There is no other way to win against these opposites. Tone up titiksha, it will serve you well, you will be happy. Endure both pleasure (be calm without excitability) and pain and suffering of the mind (observe it and see that it also passes). Because of ignorance we cover up the space of understanding. Outside the body/mind, is all intelligence (and play of maya), no pleasure/pain opposites (which are all internal states of mind). The cessation of vikshepa created by the mind for unnecessary pursuits of opposites.
Sraddha - Intense enthusiasm, earnestness, deep interest (for the truth), not a blind belief. Investigate, and confirm your understanding as you go along. Test the vision of life, with patience (not psychological future time). With earnestness to seek the truth, contradictions in life are avoided, that is Sraddha. Seeking is natural and intense love for the Truth - Sraddha, means you have the truth. Avoid contradictions and make it life's pursuit. Cessation of the attitude of doubting or looking down without investigating, or vacillating mind. Sraddha is the antidote.
Samadhana - alertness (not samadhi or atma nishta). Observe the body and its weak and strong aspects, your understanding of the body improves and yet that you are not the body. Observe the movement of mind, its tricks and its moods as they come and go. Observing the mind becomes fun (and yet you are not the mind either). Samadhana is the awareness which is observation and living without denial, or condemnation or judgement (i.e. acceptance). Any self judgement will bring up the Ego (forceful or victim). Any conceptual/memory-based association with the mind, means living in the past or future. Abhimana (Ego) cessation (me-mine syndrome).
Just be alert and observe, identification with the mind ceases. Establish yourself as the witnessing awareness. Then the mind becomes quieter and the Creative Intelligence dawns and understanding of the Truth happens (your true nature). This is the beginning of the end of bondage. Realize the emptiness and its full potential, and that you are "existence and awareness" (sat and chit). That is the Being and includes all, Sarvaatma bhava. Abide in this and return to the swarupa as you face challenges in the transactional world.
Mumukshutvam
Intense aspiration for freedom (not desire for yet another thing) to discover Reality/Truth. The one who is vitally interested in freedom is eligible for self-inquiry. There must be freedom from conflicts within oneself.
Freedom is not to be confused with "independence" to do anything you feel like doing, or economic independence. Freedom is state of mind, in which there is no inner urge to be secure. In investigating sources of insecurity, one finds that people want to "become something" in order to be secure. instead of having pressure to DO something (cikirshus), need to cultivate to KNOW more (jijnasus), by understanding our true nature. Psychological dependence creates bondage (because of expectations of some return). Physical dependence is not a problem (husband/wife, services, etc). Freedom and Love go together. Giving without any trade or business. Such giving does not create memory, or consequences or karma (so no awaiting some phala. This is freedom that breaks the bondage of dependence. Understanding the nature of dependence and therefore true freedom, is the meaning of true love. Appropriate action of love follows this understanding.
Sadhana as sadhya
Vedanta students aim to do essential duties only (nitya, and naimittika karma - karma yoga). They focus on enquiry (jijnasu and vicara) into Brahman. If the goal (sadhya) is separate from means (sadhana), there will be psychological time involved and doing involved. However, in Brahmajijnasa, the sadhana with the 4 pre-requisites of Viveka, Vairagya, samadamadi, and mumukshutvam, they remove the kinks in the mind (the distortions, conditioning etc) and reveal your true nature, Brahman (is the sadhya- the goal). So in this case the sadhana is the sadhya (the means is the goal), all is one.