Which scriptures tell that a husband-wife couple stays together for seven births?

Question

It is a popular belief in people that the togetherness of a husband-wife couple is for seven births. In which scripture(s) this thing is written?

Answer 1

The popular belief in people that the togetherness of husband-wife couple is for seven births - is a Misnomer.

As per the Kāraṇāgama (कारणागम), which is one of the 28 Śaivāgamas, the bond between a husband and wife is only for their present incarnation/birth and not everlasting', as popularly thought of or portrayed in the TV/cinemas.

This notion of 'couple staying together for seven births' might have crept as a corollary from the marriage-ritual involving the Saptapadi (सप्तपदी) rites (husband and wife taking seven steps) in a Marriage ceremony.

As I discuss in this answer about the "women independence" & their eligibility to get initiated, we have verse that also say 'couple relationship is only for their present birth'.

Chapter 2 (dvitīyaḥ paṭalaḥ): kriyāpādaḥ, Kāraṇāgama

महादेव उवाच:

Bhagvān Shiva said -

पतिपत्नीत्वसम्बन्धो न नित्यः कल्पितो हि सः । नारीिनरत्वादिकमप्यैहजन्मिकमीरितम् ॥ ६२ ॥

62. Relation of wife and husband is not the ever lasting—thing. That is the thing of supposition. It is said that to be a woman or man is also of this incarnation only.

नैव स्त्री न पुमानेष नैव चायं नपुंसकः ।
यद्यच्छरीमाधत्ते तेन तेन स लिप्यते ॥ ६३ ॥

63. This soul (Atma) is neither a woman, a man nor an impotent one. It wears that and that body in which and which it dwells.

नारीत्वमैहिकं वाऽपि भार्यात्वं कल्पितं तथा । निरुन्धतः कथं तन्व्याः पन्थानं मोक्षगामिनम् ॥ ६४ ॥

64. To be a woman is the subject of this incarnation. Like this, to be a wife is also. How can these items of the subject (womanhood, entity of wife) prevent the path of salvation for her?

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Exceptions are not the generalized rule:

There maybe be some examples like - Vasudeva & Devakī who have had multiple births as a couple, as one instance is elucidated in the Chapter 3, Book 4 of the Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Similar examples for other "divine-origin" couples may also be found in other scriptures too. However, it must be duly noted that these are examples of "divine-birth interventions", owing to a curse or boon to an 'exalted/divine-couple' and thus, as such, these may be treated as exceptions rather than a generalized rule for an average human.

Exceptions don't dictate the general rule, that is a well-known doctrine.