The crest of the University contains the motto in Sanskrit Jnanam Vijnanasahitham (Yagnatva Mokshasesshumbhat – Bhagavad Gita IX.I) which when freely translated would mean that Knowledge together with the knowledge of the supreme releases one from all evils.
At the heart of the crest is the lamp of knowledge. The surrounding atomic configuration signifies science. The ears of corn stand for prosperity. The tower on the top is the Kempe Gowda Tower which signifies that the city of Bangalore was founded by Kempe Gowda in 1537.