In Sanskrit scriptures on aesthetics and rhetoric, there is ample discussion on poetic alaṃkāra (alamkara), but no so much in Purāṇa(s)(Purana; Mythological Scriptures) . However, in Agnipurāṇa (Agnipurana), where there are layers of scriptural knowledge, there is also discussion of arthālaṃkāra (arthalamkara), with proper reason. In future, rhetoricians will say —
kāvyaśobhākarān dharmān alaṃkāraṇ pracakṣate.
the same thing reiterated in Agnipurāṇa — the embellishment of meaning is alaṃkāra. It is to be noted that Agnipurāṇa does not mention śavdālaṃkāra (savdalamkara; ornamentation of words), rather it says, without arthālaṃkāra the beauty of words cannot be created —
alaṃkaraṇamarthānāṃ arthālaṃkāra iṣyate
taṃ vinā śavdasaundaryamapi nāsti manoharaṃ.
Without arthālaṃkāra, Sarasvatī (Saraswati), the goddess of śavda, looks like a widow, without any ornament, so Agnipurāṇa refers to several alaṃkāra, and explains their characteristics, just like the texts on aesthetics. Among these alaṃkāra, there are upamā (upama), rūpaka (rupaka), atiśayokti (atisayokti),vibhāvana (vibhavana), virodha, utprekṣā (utpreksha), arthāntaranyāsa (arthantaranyasa), svabhāvokti (swabhavokti) and so on. after giving the characteristics of these alaṃkāra, in the next chapter, there is important discussions on the application of aucitya (auchitya), vācyārtha (vachyartha), lakṣaṇā(lakshana) and vyāñjanā (vyanjana), in keeping with the proper conception of rasa.