Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 18.23

niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam
arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam
aphala-prepsunā karma
yat tat sāttvikam ucyate

Synonyms: 

niyatam — regulated; saṅga–rahitam — without attachment; arāga–dveṣataḥ — without love or hatred; kṛtam — done; aphala–prepsunā — by one without desire for fruitive result; karma — action; yat — which; tat — that; sāttvikam — in the mode of goodness; ucyate — is called.

Translation: 

That action which is regulated and which is performed without attachment, without love or hatred, and without desire for fruitive results is said to be in the mode of goodness.

niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam, so what it is talking about? Sāttvikam karma

in 19th verse Sri Krishna said three things Gyanam Karam Karta so 20-22 talked about Gyana now 23-25 will talk about Karma.

So this verse talks about Karma in goodness:

niyataṁ, means that which is prescribed by scriptures 

saṅga-rahitam, without attachment

arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam, when one does not have attachment or aversion. 

aphala-prepsunā karma, aphala-prepsunā, without the motivation of the fruits of the result

yat tat sāttvikam ucyate, 

We see that this is a consistent theme in BG that as long as we are attached to the fruit of material result to that extend we cannot think about the transcendental reality which exists beyond its realm of actions and its fruits. So Krishna wants us to raise our consciousness to spiritual reality so He repeatedly urges us to not attached to material fruits.

End of transcription.