[Advaita-l] Pre-requisites for brahmajnAnA

[praveen.r.bhat at exgate.tek.com]

praNAm,

ShankarA mentions, in the upadeSha sahasri, the
pre-requisites/qualifications of a person 
before receiving brahmajnAna from a guru. (I think these are also seen in
his brahma sUtra
BhAShya on athAto brahmajijnAsA, and vivekaChUDAmaNi on approaching the
guru). Most
commonly stated among these is one who has completed his studies of vedAs
earlier and 
is moving towards sanyAsa.

Please correct me if I'm wrong in the above understanding of ShankarA's
bhAshyAs.

Now, I've two questions (may I add, in today's age):
(i) if a brAhmaNa hasn't studied vedAs, would it be *really* wrong to learn
vedAnta? 

This thought comes from ShankarA's argument on tatvamasi towards the end of
upadeSha 
sahasri, wherein he says that just by listening to the mahAvAkyAs, one
doesn't get brahmajnAna,
unless one has undergone all the pre-requisites in earlier lives. Similarly,
is it also possible
that if a brAhmaNa has not been able to study vedAs for various reasons and
is very keen to 
study vedAnta, he may have studied vedAs in earlier lives?

(ii) is sanyAsa a pre-requisite for brahmajnAnA? Would it mean joining an
established maTh 
and being initiated into sanyAsa?

jai bajranga bali,
--praveeN
/* Lead me to that Kingdom of Thine Where there is no pleasure of union
Nor displeasure of separation Where the self is in eternal happiness.
Thou alone can thither lead the ailing soul */