Sanskrit
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः । अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥
śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapas tat trividhaṃ naraiḥ aphalākāṅkṣibhir yuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate
Translation
This threefold austerity, performed by men with the utmost faith, without desire for fruit, harmonised, is said to be pure.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The guna-grading resumes, and the qualifying phrase — aphalākāṅkṣibhiḥ, without desire for fruit — is nearly verbatim what marked sattvic sacrifice in verse 11. The chapter is establishing a single test that applies across every domain it grades (food aside, which is judged by what it does to the body rather than by intention): sattvic action is action performed with faith and without an eye on the payoff, whatever form the action takes.