The realisation of the desire in the individual is an important need in the growth of spiritual practice. Bhagavad Gita says that to become a Sthitaprajna all desires should be eradicated from mind. See the Sloka No 55 in Chapter II Sankhyayoga in BG:
prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha manōgatān
ātmanyēvātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthitaprajñastadōcyatē
Meaning: O Pārtha, when a man completely casts off all the desires of the mind, and is satisfied in oneself by the realisation of Ātma, then he is said to be one of steady wisdom.
Is it possible to eradicate all desires from a human mind? Is that practical and is that necessary? There are many related questions.
When Śrī Sadāśiva Brahmendra Sarasvati was elaborating the definition of Vairagyam in his Yogasudhākaram which is an interpretation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra-s, he addressed this issue with a realistic and practical approach. Patanjali has categorised Vairāgya into Vaśīkāra Vairāgya (Apara Vairāgya) and Para Vairāgya. Apara Vairagya stands for that of a beginner. He should pass through various steps to reach the state of self-control; explaining these ascending steps of a Sādhaka, Sadāśiva Brahmendra answered all the above mentioned questions.
After realising the truth that I am Ātma and I am not this body-mind unit, one gets rid of all attachments in life. Even food and clothing will not be a need for him. They have no relevance at all in such a state of mind. (This is the reason why Indians respect those who renounce all needs and dwell in the caves.) This kind of total detachment is not possible for those who are living in the civilised society. They are facing a number of demands from their surroundings and leading a life satisfying all around them.
Such a person who still leads a life of civilised society, may feel like getting rid of the excess of demands which are the result of desires at heart; but they are unable to do so due to the strength of desires. This stage with the awareness that the desires are to be overcome, but unable to do so, is called Yatamānatvam.
Then the individual becomes capable of overcoming some desires and many others are yet to be defeated. This kind of a clear awareness with self-evaluation happens in the state of mind called Vyatirekatvam.
Gradually the practitioner realises that controlling the external action related to the desire is easier than eradicating it from mind. Therefore, the expression of the desire through external organs is controlled. The desire functions in two levels; 1. From the internal organ (Antahkarana) and 2. Through external organs (Indriya-s). The functioning through the external organs is stopped. But the desire still burns inside the mind. This stage is called Ekendriyatvam.
When any of the desires is not disturbing the individual, that stage is called Vaśīkāratvam. The Sādhaka may not be completely free from All the desires; but he is free from almost all desires; this state of mind is called Vaśīkāratvam.