[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Only Self knowledge gives liberation...

[Vivek]

Hari Om,

Shankara says that only through self knowledge you can become enlightened and that puja, japa, selfless service, meditation etc can not enlighten you. They can purify you, make your mind calm and thin out your ego but not  give you liberation. 

At the same time there have been countless saints that attained liberation by doing long and intense mantra japa or other practices and it doesn't seem they studied Vedanta at all. 

This has created a conflict in my mind. 

Can someone shed some light on this?p

Many thanks,
Vivek