As per Hinduism, Lord Shiva is granted the role of destruction among the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
What Lord Shiva symbolises is the inner self that remains intact even after everything ends, every time your soul is reborn from a turbulent phase in life, it makes way to new beginnings.
The five syllables from ‘Namah Shivay’ is Earth (Na), Water (Ma), Fire (Shi), Air (Va), and Sky (Ya)
It is not meant solely for devotional chant, but it represents the totality of existence and the path to inner harmony towards self realisation.
Happy Shivratri to all celebrating.